Mop



N0V 22 1960 M. H. scHoENFIELD ErAL 2,960,711

MOP

Filed March 7, 1957 l n n n lil/Hon H Sc/oenffelaf Donaa Scboenfielc 1N VEN TORS i... DI JU,...

nited States Patent() MOP Milton H. Schoeniield, 149 S. Oakhurst Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif., and Donald B. Schoenfield, 1420 Peerless Place, Los Angeles, Calif.

'Filed Mar. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 644,574

Claims. (Cl. 15-133) Our invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a mop designed particularly, although. not necessarily, for cleaning toilet bowls, and which embodies a head of absorbent and compressible material to retain water therein through compressing and expanding while partly or completely submerged in the bowl Water, and having a hollow portion communicating with the interior of the head and adapted to contain a quantity of liquid -detergent or other cleaning liquid which is supplied to the head to intermix with the water in the head and thereby produce in the head a diluted detergent for cleaning of a bowl by application of the head to the latter.

lt is also a purpose of our invention to provide a mop of the above character wherein the head is provided with a plunger disposed in the handle and which is movable therein upon compression of the head by the handle to pump the detergent from the handle into the head and thus intermix with the water therein to produce a diluted cleaning liquid that is distributed throughout the head so that it can, by rubbing the head on the bowl surface, be applied to such surface to clean the same.

A further purpose of our invention is to provide a mop of this character in which the head is so shaped as to facilitate cleaning of the bottom and sides of a toilet bowl, and more particularly the inner and undersides of the rim of the bowl. Moreover, the shape of the mop head extends the use of the mop to the cleaning of a wash bowl, bath tub, shower stall, as well as other tile or porcelain work found in a bath room.

We will describe only one form of mop embodying our invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a View showing in side elevation and partly in section, one form of mop embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the mop with the handle broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the mop, with the handle broken away and the mop head compressed against a surface by the handle, and showing the resultant relative positions of the handle and head.

The mop of our invention is made up, in the main, of a tubular handle H adapted to contain a quantity of liquid detergent, or other liquid suitable for cleaning toilet bowls and the like, and a head D of absorbent and compressible material, the head having a plunger P which, by compressing the head through axial movement of the handle and then allowing it to expand, causes the cleaning liquid to be pumped from the handle into the head to intermix with water concurrently absorbed by the head while it is partly or completely submerged in Water, thereby saturating the entire body with a diluted cleaning liquid for application to a toilet bowl for cleaning the same.

The head D comprises an integral body made of a material which will not, by capillary action, absorb water "ice to any extent, unless it is iirst compressed and then allowed to expand while in the Water. A material suitable for the purpose is foam polyurethane, although it will be understood other materials having similar liquidabsorbing characteristics can be employed.

The head D is shaped to provide two flat sides 15 and two ends having parts 16 of convex form, and other parts projecting laterally from the upper ends of the parts 16 and forming angular shoulders 17. Preferably, the surfaces of the convex end parts 16 and the top and bottom surfaces of the shoulders 17 are formed with transversely extending ribs or serrations 18, V-shaped in cross section. Between the shoulders 17, the head body is formed with a rectangular enlargement 19 which projects above the surface of the body as defined by adjacent sides of the shoulders;

Extending through the enlargement 19 and into the body D is an annular and elongated recess 20. This recess is formed to produce a round plunger P which is coextensive in length with the recess, and when the mop head is not in a state of compression the plunger, as shown in Fig. l, is a wholly contained with the head. The plunger P is preferably formed with a groove 22 extending spirally from end to end for a purpose to be later described herein.

The handle H is formed of any sutable light, transparent, iniiexible plastic material, and is of a length such that when the head D is mounted thereon, the latter can be extended into a toilet bowl and manipulated to clean the same. The handle is of tubular form end to end, one vend being closed by a removable cap 23, and the other end extended part way into the recess 20 and around the plunger P, so that its free end terminates short of the inner end o-f the recess.

The handle is permanently secured to the enlargement 19 by a liat plastic ring 24 surrounding the handle and iixed thereto by cernenting. One iiat side of the ring 24 is cemented to the enlargement 19. Therefore, since the ring is fixed to the handle, as well as to the enlargement, pressure of the handle axially toward the head H when the latter is against a surface 25 (Fig. 4), will operate to compress the head and at the same time move the plunger P upwardly in the handle H from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 4. Conversely, when the handle is relieved of axial pressure the head will expand moving the plunger downwardly in the handle -to the position shown in Fig. l.

To prepare the mop for use a small quantity of liquid detergent is introduced into the handle H through removal of the cap 23, the detergent being indicated at 25 and shown in Fig. l, and Fig. 4, as repos'ng on the upper end of the plunger. Now by partly or completely submerging the head D in the Water in a toilet bowl, and at the same time pressing the head intermittently against the bowl by exerting an axial force on the handle, the head is rst compressed and then permitted to expand causing it to absorb water.

At the same time the plunger P is reciprocated in the handle to expel the detergent therefrom through the plunger groove 22 and nally into the center of the head where it intermixes with the Water contained in the head to produce a diluted detergent suitable for cleaning the toilet bowl. The bottom and sides of the bowl can be quickly and effectively cleaned by rubbing the bottom and sides of the head thereagainst, while the upper and lower s'des of the inturned rim of the bowl can easily be reached and thoroughly cleaned by presenting the ribs 18 on one end 16 or the other, and the ribs 18 on the top and bottom sides of one shoulder 17 or the other, and then rubbing the head along these bowl surfaces.

Mauifestly the contour of the mop head lends itself to reaching and cleaning the surfaces of a shower stall, Wash basin, and bath tub, and in fact the surface of any porcelain or tile found in a bath room.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of mop embodying our inven-tion, it is to be understood that vario-us changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A mop, includng: a head of absorbent and compressible material; a handle having a hollow portion cornmunicating with the interior of the head and adapted to contain a supply of cleaning liquid; and a plunger in the head extending into the hollow handle portion, and slidably fitted axially there'n so as to allow axial movement of the plunger and handle relatively, the plunger being of the same material as the head and integral therewith and having a spiral groove therein, one end of which communicates with the interior of the handle and the other end of which communicates with the interior of the head.

2. A mop, includ'ng: a head of absorbent and compressible material; a handle of tubular form fixed to and having one end open and extending into the head so as to be axially movable in the latter; a cap closing the other end of the handle, the handle adapted to contain a cleaning liquid; and a plunger xed to the head and extending into the open end of the handle and lengthwise movable therein so that upon compression of the head by the handle the plunger will be moved inwardly of the handle to expel the cleanfng liquid from the handle into the head.

3. A mop, including: a head of absorbent and compressible material, the head having fixed therein a plunger of the same material as the head; a handle of tubular form having one end extending into the body and slidably receiving the plunger; a cap closing the other end CFR o-f the handle, the handle adapted to contain a cleaning liquid whereby, upon compression of the head by the handle the plunger w'll be actuated to expel the cleaning liquid from the handle through and around the plunger into the body.

4. A mop, including: a head of absorbent, compressible and expansible material, the head having an annular recess therein to form a round plunger within the head; a handle of tubular form which is open at one end and closed at the other and adapted to contain a liquid, the open end of the handle extending into said recess and about sa'd plunger; and means fixing the handle to the head so that the open end of the handle is spaced from the inner end of said recess to allow axial movement of the handle inwardly of said recess when the handle is forced against the head thus causing said plunger to move inwardly of the handle and thereby expelling liquid from the handle through the plunger and into the head.

5` A mop as embodied in claim 4 wherein, said plunger hav'ng a groove therein, one end of which communicates with the interior of the handle and the other end of which communicates with the inner end of said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 255,851 Gross Apr. 4, 1882 257,293 Cory May 2, 1882 859,606 Klove July 9, 1907 2,119,646 Pidel June 7, 1938 2,648,085 Rodgers Aug. 11, 1953 2,742,661 Carvalho Apr. 24, 1956 2,744,281 Zinggeler May 8, 1956 2,832,087 McEwan Apr. 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 58,319 France June 17, 1953 

